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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25792828">Underneath Your Mask</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/almia/pseuds/almia'>almia</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Retail, Fluff, Mentioned Catherine/Shamir, Mentioned My Unit | Byleth, Mentioned Rhea (Fire Emblem), Mentioned Shamir, Multi, bc of covid-19 (not a big part i promise), cute boys in masks, in this house we believe in retail worker's rights, mentioned Dimitri/Byleth, no beta we die like Glenn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:20:13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,413</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25792828</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/almia/pseuds/almia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Fresh out of university, Ashe hadn't exactly planned on working full time in retail‒ especially as a sales associate at a children’s clothes store. He also never expected an attractive, single man to be his favorite recurring customer.</p><p>It seemed that fate was finally smiling upon him- and when Ashe was offered a good opportunity, he always took it. Even if it took some awkward encouragement from his meddling boss.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Dedue Molinaro</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>46</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hi, this is my first fe3h fic! i hope you enjoy~</p><p>for some reason, i couldn't get the idea of this customer service/retail AU out of my head, and so this fic was born. if only my own time working in retail involved fluffy romance like this!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Just a few more minutes until closing.</p><p>That's what Ashe told himself. He could lock the front door in just a little bit‒ the orange-pink sky outside told him so.  But Ashe also knew that he'd be stuck a while longer anyway, sweeping up the floor and helping his manager count the day's profits, which were still sitting in the front register. </p><p>Thinking of each task he needed to complete, Ashe folded onesie after onesie in an attempt to get a head start on the night's clean-up. Working in retail wasn't exactly what he'd had in mind for a job after college, but it'd have to do for now, with the pandemic and all of that.</p><p>Lost in thought, Ashe jumped a bit when he heard the front door chime. Pasting on a cheerful grin that hopefully didn't betray his state of exhaustion, he started for the front of the store. Hopefully, this would be the last customer of the day.</p><p>As he drew closer to the front door, Ashe felt his face grow warm, thankful for once that he was partially hidden under his mask. The man just entering the store was not his usual customer‒ not a pregnant woman, nor an excited grandmother. Instead, he was a young man probably close in age to Ashe, and with the sun setting behind him, it looked like there was a literal golden halo surrounding him.</p><p>Ashe realized just a bit too late that he must've been staring at the man, and tried to play it off with a nervous laugh. "Welcome, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?"</p><p>The man's voice was deep, yet surprisingly clear through his mask. "Not at this time. Thank you, though."</p><p>Cracking a small smile, Ashe said, “Okay, just let me know if you need any help.”</p><p>“Of course,” the man muttered with a nod, moving towards one of the front tables to browse its contents.</p><p>And so Ashe went back to folding onesies, his thoughts drifting from cleaning the store to the interesting man and why he was here so close to closing time. He wondered why the man had come in the first place. It was just so rare to see a man near his age in the store, most of them not taking  a particular interest in picking out baby clothes, even for their own children. He decided that if the man was a father, then he was probably a good one for even attempting to shop for his child.</p><p>As Ashe continued tidying the store, he occasionally glanced at the man. He took notice of his tanned skin, his neatly tied wolf’s tail, and the way his black t-shirt clung to his back. He also noticed that the man was scratching his head, eyes scrunching as he surveyed a rack of shirts. Ashe almost wanted to offer his assistance but didn’t want to disturb the man’s concentration. And besides, he hadn’t asked for Ashe’s help anyway.</p><p>When he was halfway through sweeping the shop, his mind on autopilot, Ashe looked up to see his only customer waiting patiently in front of the cash register. He seemed to have picked out nothing despite his lengthy browsing.</p><p>Ashe slipped behind the counter, settling behind the register with a practiced sense of ease. His eyes scanned the other man’s, and despite seeing nothing in his hands, the man didn’t seem frustrated or unhappy. </p><p>“Are you having trouble finding something, sir?”</p><p>The opposing man’s eye contact was piercing, but for some reason, it didn’t leave Ashe feeling uncomfortable. “No, I did not have much in mind in the first place. Would you happen to sell gift cards?”</p><p>Not a father then, Ashe realized a bit too gleefully. Nodding, Ashe motioned to a small display next to the man. “Take your pick from the ones there.”</p><p>The man hummed, reaching a large hand to look through the cards. He sifted through them with an unusual gentleness, before procuring one with “Congratulations!” written in shiny silver calligraphy across the front. Wordlessly, he handed it to Ashe.</p><p>“Thank you,” Ashe said, beginning to key information from the card into the register. As he went, his eyes flicked to a faded sign taped next to the register. Sheepishly, he smiled and said, “I’m sorry, can I actually see a form of ID? It's our store policy for buying gift cards.”</p><p>Many protested when Ashe asked, or at the very least grimaced‒ not that he could fully discern the man's response under his mask. Nevertheless, the man said, “Of course.”</p><p>Ashe tried not to let his face betray the little swell in his heart as the man handed over his driver’s license. “Dedue Molinaro” was printed neatly next to his ID photo, which held a neutral, unsmiling expression.</p><p>The rest of the purchase went as one would expect. Ashe handed the man‒ or Dedue’s card back, accepted his payment, and then asked him to sign up for the rewards program. In another shocking turn, Dedue was more than willing to sign up, readily producing his email. </p><p>“This will be good for when I come back,” Dedue said. Ashe felt warm at the prospect of seeing him again.</p><p>“That’s great to hear. Have a great night, sir.”</p><p>“You as well‒" Dedue squinted, looking down, “Ah, Ashe. Have a great night.”</p><p>A beat of silence lingered between both men as neither moved, simple regarding each other’s presence. It was broken when Dedue turned towards the entrance, briskly seeing himself out. </p><p>Ashe watched until Dedue left the store. Past the door, he could see that the sky had taken on a purple hue, heading towards total darkness. Deciding to wipe down the cash counter, Ashe stole an occasional glance at the pleasant view, Dedue still on his mind.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>When Dedue visited the store next, Ashe didn't notice at first. Unfortunately, he was wholly occupied by a less than polite customer standing in front of him. She was a middle-aged woman, frowning as she clutched a bag of clothes to be returned‒ which wouldn’t have been a problem at all, if she wasn’t being so incredibly unreasonable. </p><p>“Ma’am, I do apologize. I can’t give you a cash refund without a receipt. However, I can give you a gift card to use as a store credit instead.” Internally, he braced himself for an incoming bout of verbal abuse.</p><p>The woman huffed, responding, “I don’t like any of the clothes in this store. Give me a full refund, not store credit.”</p><p>Ashe sighed internally, knowing the situation would almost certainly escalate further. He'd probably need his manager's help for this one, but she was on her break.</p><p>What Ashe really wanted to do was shrink behind the register and stay put there until closing, but dealing with irritable, middle-aged women unfortunately was a common occurrence and a requirement to keep his job.</p><p>Instead of hiding or summoning his manager, Ashe pasted on a saccharine smile and pulled out his best customer service voice. “I’m sorry ma’am, that would be against our store policy. If you’d like, I can get you store credit, and help you pick out new‒”</p><p>The woman waved a hand at him dismissively. “Please, I don’t care about your silly policy. I’d like to speak with your manager.”</p><p>“Of course, just a moment,” Ashe said, grabbing a half-functional walkie-talkie from next to the register. Just before pressing the side button to speak, Ashe took notice of a small line forming behind his difficult customer. At the very end stood a familiar man with lovely silver hair, and he could feel a soft warmth building in his belly.</p><p>Now wasn't the time to think about that though, so he begrudgingly held down a button on the walkie-talkie. “Hey, Catherine. Are you there?”</p><p>He got no response at first, and Ashe had a nagging feeling that she was ignoring him. And to top that off, the customer had started impatiently tapping her foot.</p><p>Ashe cupped his hand around the walkie-talkie and turned away from the register, whispering harshly, “Catherine, please. A customer wants to talk to you about a return, and she’s being difficult.”</p><p>Finally, he heard a crackling sigh over the tinny little speaker as a voice said, “Fine, I’ll be up in a minute.”</p><p>“Great, thanks,” Ashe said quickly, turning back to his customer. She was surely frowning behind her mask.</p><p>In an attempt to calm her, Ashe said, “My manager should be right up. Thank you for your patience.” That was a lie‒ the woman was up there with some of Ashe’s worst customers. </p><p>The woman huffed and shook her head, though this time she held her tongue. Ashe was left shifting awkwardly in his spot, seconds ticking by as he awaited his rescue.</p><p>Seconds turned to a minute, then five. The line behind his customer had grown in length, and with a grimace, Ashe knew there was nothing he could do about it.</p><p>When the woman could wait no longer, she dropped her bags on the floor, pulled her mask down to her chin, and slammed her hands down on the counter. </p><p>“Why isn’t your manager here yet? I have other places to be today!”</p><p>Now this was shaping up to be a big mess. Ashe was stuck, and as the only associate in the store, he couldn’t exactly leave the register and forcibly drag Catherine up from the basement. He also couldn’t curse the woman out like he so sorely wanted to. But the biggest problem now was that she’d taken off her mask, and that had to be addressed first.</p><p>“I apologize for the wait, but I must ask you to put your mask back on. It’s a state mandate.”</p><p>The woman removed her hands from the counter but didn't move to fix her mask. “I will not be put this back on. I want you to know just how upset I am, and also that I’ll be filing a complaint with your corporate office.”</p><p>Although he was usually slow to anger, Ashe’s patience was wearing thin. “Wearing a mask is also store policy. If you won’t put it back on, I’ll have to ask you to leave.”</p><p>“I’ll be right here until your manager is done taking her sweet old time getting over‒“</p><p>Admittedly, Ashe had his tunnel vision focused only on the raging customer at this point, which was why he didn’t notice a tall, familiar man exiting the checkout line. Said man made his way up to the front counter where Ashe was hunched over the register, settling next to the indignant woman. </p><p>The customer paused her rant, eyebrows shooting up as she regarded the significantly more intimidating man now beside her. “And what do you want?” she hissed at him.</p><p>“Please stop bothering him. He is only doing his job.” The man, Ashe now remembered as Dedue, said.</p><p>The woman’s face grew red-hot as she yelled, “You don’t even work here! What right do you have to tell me‒”</p><p>And that, thankfully, was the moment that Catherine finally marched over to the cash counter, a hand on her hip and murderous intent in her eyes. She walked behind the counter, carefully nudging Ashe out of the way so she was front and center.</p><p>“I understand that you came here to make a return, ma’am, but we can only help you if you put your mask back on.” Ashe could tell that one sentence contained the entirety of Catherine's daily patience‒ which granted was never much. But really, patience and kindness weren’t going to work on this woman anyway.</p><p>The customer practically growled back at Catherine, “I came here to make a return, and I don’t intend on leaving until I get my refund.”</p><p>With a smirk and a little sarcastic laugh, Catherine said, “Well, that’s shame, because I won’t be able to help you if you're going to act like that. Now, if you won’t leave yourself, I’ll have to call security. Or maybe this kind fellow will suffice.” Her eyes darted to Dedue, who continued staring down the woman, arms crossed and stance unwavering.</p><p>After that final act of intimidation, she sighed dramatically, making a show of scooping her shopping bags off the floor. She pointed at Catherine and muttered, “Your corporate office will be hearing about this!” before finally storming out of the store. </p><p>Ashe wanted to sit down and take a deep breath following the incident, but a rather long line of customers had formed behind the counter. He'd have to attend to them first lest another one turn into a customer-zilla from the long wait.</p><p>As he slipped behind the counter so he could get back to work, Catherine took station at the rarely used register next to him. “Sorry I took so long, but let me make it up to you, Ashe,” she said sheepishly, scratching the back of her neck, then facing Dedue, who was still situated next to the counter. “I can help you first, sir. And thank you for sticking up for Ashe. He can be a little soft on the job sometimes.”</p><p>Ashe bristled at her words, but kept his mouth shut. He was usually quite fond of Catherine, but she did love poking at his nerves from time to time. Now wasn’t the best time for her comments, but he decided to just take it in stride for now.</p><p>He almost jumped out of his skin, yanked from his thoughts when Dedue said, “I will actually browse the store a bit longer.” He titled his head, casting his gaze at Ashe. His eyes crinkled fondly, and Ashe suddenly felt quite warm under his mask. “There is no need to thank me. I simply did what any good person would.” Before Ashe could thank Dedue himself, he walked off to a nearby display table, carefully eying the neatly arranged outfits.</p><p>With that, Catherine and Ashe fell into a routine of greeting each customer in line as they reached the counter, apologizing for the delay, and finishing their purchases politely before sending them on their way. It felt like an eternity before the store returned to its natural state of near emptiness, but in reality, the clock told Ashe it’d only been twenty minutes.</p><p>Finally allowing himself to relax, Ashe leaned forward onto the counter, eyes scanning the store. It looked as if it had been ransacked while that customer had thrown her fit‒ pairs of shorts littered one corner of the store, and a heap of shirts sat on a formerly organized table towards the front of the store. He groaned softly, knowing that cleanup tonight was going to drag on forever. </p><p>But with the bad came the good, and on the other end of the store, Ashe’s eyes fell Dedue, who was carefully sifting through pajama sets for infants. He couldn’t help but let out contented sigh, leaning further onto his elbows.</p><p>Beside him, Ashe heard Catherine chuckle. “You owe me the full story of what happened here later, kid.”</p><p>Ashe’s face scrunched as he was called “kid”, shooting Catherine his best death glare. “You've pretty much seen it all. Not much else to report.”</p><p>“I don’t believe you,” she said with a smirk. “But it’s okay, you’ll have time to tell me everything tonight while we clean up this pigsty.”</p><p>Instead of responding, Ashe moved to straighten up a particularly sloppy rack of shirts, humming as he went. He counted himself lucky that Catherine decided not to bother him further; for once, she even began cleaning towards the back of the store.</p><p>Since Ashe stayed in orbit of the register, he recognized when Dedue slowly made his way over, this time with a few more items in hand. He silently deposited them on the counter, eyes taking in each individual item. Ashe felt his lips turn up as his took in what Dedue picked, his eyes falling on a white onesie that read, “I’m Uncle’s Favorite!” in neat black lettering.</p><p>Before moving to scan each article of clothing, Ashe looked Dedue straight in the eyes and said, “I know you said no thanks was necessary, but well... thank you.”</p><p>Dedue shook his and said, “Please don’t thank me. You and your co-worker did the bulk of the work.”</p><p>Ashe furrowed his eyebrows, protesting lightly, “No, seriously. I know security would have come if we called, but you were there when we needed you. That could’ve dragged on a lot longer if you hadn’t stepped in, even with Catherine's help.”</p><p>After a moment, Dedue responded, “I suppose I’ll accept your thanks... Ashe.”</p><p>If Ashe wasn’t blushing before, then he definitely was now. He cleared his throat softly to break away from the topic, moving his hands to scan Dedue’s items. </p><p>The ordeal took no more than a few minutes, and before Dedue was finished withdrawing a card from his wallet, Ashe said, “Wait.”</p><p>Dedue stilled his hand, eyes boring into Ashe’s again.</p><p>Before he could change his mind, Ashe took a store coupon from next to the register and scanned it alongside Dedue’s items. Dedue’s eyes widened as he watched his total go down significantly on the pin pad screen.</p><p>“Saying thank you didn’t feel sufficient, so let me do this,” Ashe began, and held up a hand before Dedue could protest. “Please don't refuse. What you did meant a lot to me.”</p><p>“I won’t refuse, then. But please do not do this every time I come here.” Ashe felt his blush spread across his body, realizing what Dedue’s words entailed.</p><p>“Yes, of course. Can’t have the store losing money, after all.” Ashe somehow found it in himself to wink.</p><p>Dedue gave a curt nod, and said, “Exactly.”</p><p>Ashe had meant it as a joke, but regardless, he was just glad that Dedue had accepted the discount as he inserted his card into the reader. Silence fell between the two until the machine dinged for him to remove the card, and Ashe handed over his bag of newly purchased clothes.</p><p>Like last time, Dedue lingered for a moment even after Ashe handed over his receipt. This time though, Ashe broke the silence.</p><p>“I hope you have a nice night, Dedue.”</p><p>Dedue’s eyes widened, and Ashe internally cursed at being so careless. “Sorry, I remembered it from your driver’s license. You know, when you bought the gift card last time.” </p><p>He visibly relaxed, though Ashe didn’t understand why. If someone had remembered his name from a form of ID, he’d probably be creeped out. He hoped Dedue wasn’t too unnerved, though that didn't seem to be the case.</p><p>Bags crinkled as Dedue lifted them from the counter. “I see. Please have a good night as well, Ashe.” With another nod, Dedue stepped away, exiting through the front door. </p><p>Ashe watched him until his vision could follow no longer, sighing as he stared into the cloudless blue sky.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>“So, Catherine, what exactly kept you from helping me for so long?” Ashe asked absentmindedly, counting the day’s big bills from the register.</p><p>It was finally the end of the day, so both employees found themselves hidden away in Catherine's tiny, cluttered office in the basement. Honestly, it would probably be more accurate to call it a closet, but it did have a few personal touches that made it Catherine’s own. Ashe spotted a little picture of Catherine’s wife Shamir among the scattered papers on her desk, and a ceremonial sword (that was definitely against company policy) hung haphazardly on the wall. </p><p>Catherine looked up from a half filled-out deposit form with a sheepish smile. “Oh, nothing out of the usual. I was just stuck on the phone with the regional manager‒ you know how she can talk for days."</p><p>“You say that, but I know you love talking to her,” Ashe said with a laugh, setting down the stack of bills.</p><p>She rolled her eyes, then smirked in a way that made Ashe shiver. “Enough about Rhea. I want to hear about your knight in shining armor from earlier.”</p><p>Ashe blanched, feeling a blush spread across his cheeks. “It’s not like that. I barely even know him.”</p><p>Catherine threw her head back, giving a full-bellied laugh. Ashe pouted, looking away. They’d finally wrapped up for the night, so there really was nothing keeping him in Catherine’s office. Except he knew that if he ducked out then, Catherine would just grill him the next morning anyway.</p><p>With a pout, Ashe gave in to Catherine's wishes. “Fine, there’s a little more to the story, but it’s really nothing important. He came in a few weeks ago and bought a gift card. I only remember because we rarely have men his age in here.” Ashe pointedly looked at the mess of papers on Catherine’s desk instead of at her.</p><p>He could hear the grin in her response as Catherine said, “That might be all that happened on the outside, but I can tell you have the hots for him. Not that I can blame you, with a body like that.”</p><p>Again, Ashe was consumed by a full body blush. It’d been happening a lot lately, and he was getting pretty sick of it.</p><p>“...Maybe,” he admitted quietly, so his manager could barely hear him.</p><p>“Well, just don’t flirt with him too blatantly on the clock. Hopefully, he’ll be back if he’s been here twice already,” Catherine said as she locked away the day’s profits in a safe under her desk.</p><p>Ashe hummed in response, looking at Catherine's desk again instead of her. This time, his eyes settled on the photo of Shamir.</p><p>Catherine shuffled over to the often-jammed office door, huffing as she shoved it open. Before making her way out of the store, she said, “Well, I think I’ve bothered you enough for tonight. Let’s get out of here‒ I open early tomorrow.”</p><p>Jumping out of his chair, Ashe followed Catherine, bidding her good night as he went into the ink-black darkness.</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>A few weeks passed, and Ashe fell into somewhat of a routine. It was much the same as before‒ he worked most days on the floor and at the register, helping customers as best he could. However, whenever the front door opened, he’d discreetly glance over, praying that he’d see Dedue walking in.</p><p>To Ashe’s pleasure, Dedue indeed came around to the store about once a week. Ashe was always the one to help him around the store and check him out (in more ways than one), which he had Catherine to thank for.</p><p>His life stayed like that for a couple of months, until finally the cycle was broken.</p><p>Ashe was scanning Dedue’s items at the register, not unlike any other day when he came into the store. They were the only ones there, aside from Catherine— it seemed other potential customers might have been eating lunch, Ashe noted from the register's clock.</p><p>They never talked much unless Dedue needed help finding something, and today was no exception. Wordlessly, Dedue handed Ashe a coupon when he was done scanning everything. He’d brought one every time since Ashe used the store coupon for him.</p><p>With a soft smile that his customer couldn't see, Ashe handed a bag over to Dedue, growing warm when their fingers lightly brushed.</p><p>“Have a good day, Dedue. I hope to see you back soon.”</p><p>“You will. Have a good day,” Dedue said, eyes crinkling in that way Ashe had grown accustomed to. </p><p>Dedue lingered for a moment as he always did before making his trek to the exit. Ashe watched, sighing when he made it out the door.</p><p>With the store now eerily quiet, Catherine circled around to find Ashe leaning on the cash counter. He braced himself for a comment on his interaction with Dedue, but instead, she pleasantly surprised him.</p><p>“Go take your lunch break. It’s dead in here anyway.” She rearranged the gift card display as she spoke.</p><p>Ashe beamed, fingers poking at the register screen to clock out. “You’re the best, Catherine.”</p><p>Said woman shook her head. “It's more that I just can’t stand listening to you sigh whenever <em>he </em>leaves. Now go.”</p><p>Ashe huffed, making his way to the back of the store. “Maybe you’re not the best after all. Either way, I’ll see you after lunch.”</p><p>Catherine had given him a break at the peak of lunch hour. Normally, that wasn’t a problem for Ashe. He loved to cook and almost always packed his own food. But that morning, he’d slept right through his alarm and was almost late to work (and if him dreaming about Dedue had anything to do with it, he’d never tell).</p><p>Instead of eating in the peaceful quiet of the store basement, Ashe braced himself as he entered the sandwich shop next door. The food was always fantastic, but he dreaded how crowded it always was around lunchtime. It was less so than usual because of the pandemic, but there were still several people before him in line. He intended to get in, buy a nice lunch, and return to his own store without anything crazy happening‒ but around this time, one never knew what could happen.</p><p>Ashe watched the seconds of his break tick away on his phone’s clock, internally cursing himself again for not bringing his own lunch. After finally getting the cash register, giving his order, and waiting for his food, he only had fifteen minutes to scarf down his food before heading back to work. Grabbing his lunch from the pickup counter, Ashe made his way for the door, resigned to spending his shortened break in the mildew-scented basement.</p><p>That was, until his gaze caught on a table just a few feet from the door.</p><p>Sitting at the table was Dedue, hair shining from the sun shining through the window next to him, mask on as usual. His eyes were skimming an unfolded local newspaper, and atop the little table in front of him sat a half-finished bowl of what seemed to be the same soup Ashe had ordered.</p><p>Ashe hadn’t noticed that he'd stopped walking until a stranger brushed past him, muttering "excuse me" as he pushed through the front door. At those words, Dedue's gaze lifted from his newspaper, settling on Ashe, eyebrows raising in realization.</p><p>"Oh. Hello, Ashe."</p><p>Gulping, Ashe realized there was no way he could make a quick getaway now. Not that he wasn't pleased to find Dedue here‒ quite the contrary, in fact. But despite interacting with him a few times, Ashe really didn't know anything about him, except that he liked buying baby clothes for someone else's child. Or did he even like shopping in his store? Why did he keep coming back, anyway?</p><p>Dedue broke Ashe's thoughts by asking, "Do you want to sit down?"</p><p>Right. Ashe still hadn't acknowledged Dedue's existence, aside from staring at him for an indeterminate amount of time. That was perfectly normal, and not weird at all.</p><p>"Yeah. Um, sure." Despite Ashe's intense awkwardness, Dedue seemed unphased. Ashe plopped his brown bag on the table, dragging out the chair opposite of Dedue. Across the table, Dedue folded his newspaper, placing it on the table next to his meal. His eyes bored into Ashe's own.</p><p>Ashe forgot how to function as a human whenever Dedue looked at him, and now was no exception. But this was a chance Ashe might not get again, to see Dedue outside of work for once. He couldn't spoil this‒ he needed to say something.</p><p>"So," he began, and before he could stop himself, blurted out, "who's the lucky kid you've been buying clothes for?"</p><p>As soon as the words left his mouth, Ashe felt absolutely mortified. But he couldn't take back it, so he sat and stared, watching the corners of Dedue's eyes crinkle at the edges.</p><p>Dedue plucked his phone from a bag under the table. "If you would like, I can show you."</p><p>"I'd love that." And that was far from a lie. Ashe surely didn't work a baby clothes store because he disliked babies. In fact, he felt quite the opposite about children.</p><p>He watched as Dedue scrolled through his photos, before stopping on a photo of a rather attractive couple holding a tiny baby. The mother had choppy light green hair and eyes and was gazing down lovingly at the child in her arms. Equally enamored, the father was huddled against the woman, eyes focused on his child as well. He had a bright blue eye (the other was covered by an eyepatch), his blond hair gathered in a short ponytail. With a smile, Ashe recognized the baby's onesie as one Dedue had purchased from his store.</p><p>"Adorable," Ashe murmured, leaning into the little screen to get a better look.</p><p>With a nod, Dedue scrolled through a few more photos of the parents and their child as he talked. "I have been friends with these two for a long time. The little one is named Jeri. They call me her uncle." A warm fondness was present in Dedue's voice, and Ashe found it quite contagious.</p><p>Ashe could feel himself smiling as he said, "Well, she's very lucky to have you. I'm sure you're a great uncle. I mean, you've probably bought the kid her whole wardrobe at this point."</p><p>"Thank you. Neither of her parents are big shoppers, and she deserves to be spoiled," Dedue said, his fingers tracing a photo of Jeri crawling around on a carpeted floor. Again, she was wearing an outfit from Ashe's store.</p><p>A pleasant silence fell between them after that. Dedue put his phone down, and Ashe plucked his bowl of soup and half a sandwich from the bag in front of him, ready to feast.</p><p>Dedue eyed Ashe's food, then his own before asking, "Is that the fish and bean soup?"</p><p>"Mhmm," Ashe hummed with a nod, pulling the plastic from his spoon. "I saw that you got it too. It's my favorite."</p><p>"It is mine as well."</p><p>Ashe brushed a finger against the edge of his mask, almost nervous to reveal his face to Dedue, even if it was only so he could eat. He brushed the thought aside though, as his shift had helped him work up quite an appetite. Digging into his soup, he noted that it was just as delicious as usual.</p><p>After Ashe began eating, Dedue followed suit. He picked up his spoon, and before digging in, Dedue pulled down his own plain black mask.</p><p>In one short second, Ashe looked up, gaped at Dedue's uncovered face, and dropped his spoon into his own soup, splashing it everywhere.</p><p>"I‒ I'm so sorry, let me help!" Ashe dug a stack of brown napkins out of his paper bag and immediately started wiping up the table. With a wince, he noticed that Dedue's newspaper was practically soaked. Even though it wouldn't do much, he dabbed a napkin on it in a poor attempt to absorb some of the liquid, cursing under his breath.</p><p>"Ashe."</p><p>He refused to look up. Ashe didn't know how to fix this‒ he couldn't undo it. Oh goddess, would Dedue stop coming into the store because of this?</p><p>A warm palm spread over Ashe's shaking fist, and he looked up to see the smallest, yet most beautiful smile on Dedue's face.</p><p>Dedue started again, "Please do not worry, Ashe. I was finished reading this, anyway."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>Dedue withdrew his hand, and Ashe set the soaked napkin aside, averting his gaze once again.</p><p>After a beat of silence, Dedue asked, "Is your shift over? Or is this your break?"</p><p>With a sigh, Ashe finally looked back at Dedue, remembering that he needed return to the store in the next few minutes. Glancing down at his phone, it seemed that he only had five left. It wasn't long, but he'd stretch it out as long as he could. This probably wouldn't happen again, after all.</p><p>"Just my break," Ashe said sullenly, spooning what little remained of his soup.</p><p>Dedue smile wilted a bit as he said, "That's a shame."</p><p>"A shame?" Ashe parroted, unsure what Dedue was trying to say.</p><p>"To see you go so soon." Dedue's gaze bored into Ashe's own, and he could feel warmth rising in his cheeks.</p><p>"Oh." Ashe winced at his own response as it slipped past his lips. He didn't know what else to say‒ he wasn't prepared for this. One thing he did know, though was that he wanted to do this again. He'd eat with Dedue every day, given the option.</p><p>And so that was what he said. Sort of.</p><p>"We should‒," Ashe gulped, looking down at Dedue's finished soup, then back up at him with renewed determination, "We should do this again. Um, when I'm not working."</p><p>Dedue's face was like spring in full bloom, a smile stretched across his mouth, eyes crinkling in his own lovely fashion. Ashe could hardly breathe, dazzled at the display.</p><p>"I would like that very much. Can I give you my phone number so we can pick a date?"</p><p><em>Date</em>. The word rang in Ashe's ears like church bells. Or wedding bells, but he didn't want to get ahead of himself. Not yet.</p><p>He managed to stammer, "Of course." Ashe pulled out his phone, noting that he only had two minutes left in his break as he handed it over to Dedue.</p><p>After his phone was returned, Ashe began gathering his things, and pulled on his mask. The last thing he wanted in that moment was to leave, but alas, he couldn't pay the bills if he lost his job. Across from him, Dedue fished his bag from underneath their table.</p><p>"You're leaving too?"</p><p>Dedue nodded, looping his mask behind one ear, then the other. "I have no reason to stay."</p><p>Ashe simply hummed in response.</p><p>Both shortly finished gathering themselves, and begrudgingly they made their way to the door. Dedue went through first, holding it open for Ashe once outside. He grinned behind his mask at the small show of chivalry.</p><p>Once outside, Ashe and Dedue lingered, neither wishing to break the spell between them. Steeling himself, Ashe craned his head to look at Dedue. In full sunlight, he could see the true color of Dedue's eyes‒ a striking teal, both of which were trained on his face.</p><p>"I will be back to shop soon," Dedue promised, still not tearing away his gaze.</p><p>Ashe couldn't help but think maybe he had something to do with why Dedue kept coming back, but that couldn't be the case. The store really did have some cute clothes. That must've been the reason, though Ashe couldn't help but hope otherwise.</p><p>"Good. I'll text you before then, anyway."</p><p>Dedue's eyes crinkled, and Ashe now knew that meant he was smiling behind his mask. He'd count down the minutes until he could see that smile again.</p><p>After exchanging goodbyes, Ashe took a few steps towards his own store, then paused.</p><p>Getting Dedue's number was plenty, he tried to tell himself. And not only did he have his number, but he had Dedue's promise that he'd come back to the store soon, and that they'd share another lunch. It was a great first step.</p><p>But it wasn't enough.</p><p>Before he could stop himself, Ashe whirled around to find Dedue still rooted in the same spot, watching him. Without thinking, Ashe stalked up to Dedue, pushed onto his tiptoes, and pressed his masked lips to the junction between Dedue's own mask and cheek.</p><p>Right as Ashe was about to pull back, Dedue wrapped his arms around Ashe, pulling him close as the smaller man squeaked in surprise. Ashe felt Dedue’s mask against his ear as he whispered, voice low, "If you wanted something, you only had to ask."</p><p>Ashe let himself be held for just a moment, drinking in Dedue's warmth.</p><p>The moment was broken when both men heard a nearby door creak open. Ashe pulled away from Dedue, looking over to see Catherine standing outside of his store.</p><p>"You're never late," she said with a smirk, crossing her arms. "But just for today, I'll forgive you. Now get in here."</p><p>Bright red and a little sweaty, Ashe threw one last glance at Dedue before scuttling towards Catherine.</p><p>Behind him, Ashe heard Dedue say, "I will be back soon."</p><p>This time, Ashe didn't have to look back to know that underneath his mask, Dedue was smiling.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Bonus</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Dedue pays Dimitri a visit and answers a burning question of his.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been a quiet Sunday at the Blaiddyd-Eisner household when Dimitri heard three even knocks at the front door.</p>
<p>He paced over, and before he even pulled it open, he knew he'd find Dedue on his doorstep.</p>
<p>"What brings you here, Dedue?" Dimitri asked, knowing this was his weekly drop-by. Which also meant...</p>
<p>Dedue held up a large paper bag, assumedly of clothes for Jeri. It had been months since the trend had begun, and now his daughter had more clothes than any 6-month-old could ever desire. While the gesture was a sweet one, Dimitri couldn't imagine why Dedue brought her clothes every single week.</p>
<p>Regardless, Dimitri smiled, standing to the side so Dedue could come in. Both men made their way into the living room as Dimitri chatted enough for the both of them.</p>
<p>"Anyway, Byleth and Jeri are both taking a nap, but I'm sure they won't mind if you show me what you brought over."</p>
<p>Dedue placed the bag on the coffee table, lifting carefully folded clothes out of the bag and spreading them across the remainder of the table. "I think you will like what I brought."</p>
<p>Dimitri gave a deep rumble of a laugh, agreeing as he surveyed the selection. "As usual, your taste is impeccable."</p>
<p>Among the clothes, Dimitri found his favorite, turning it over as gently as he could manage‒ a snap-up, floral romper. It didn't look like something Dedue would usually pick himself.</p>
<p>"Ah," Dedue said, gazing fondly at the romper. "Ashe helped me pick that one."</p>
<p>Dimitri found Dedue smiling in a way he hadn't seen a long time. "That's a name I haven't heard before."</p>
<p>Dedue's smile spread into full bloom. "Before now, there was not much to tell. But recently..."</p>
<p>There was a moment of silence, then Dimitri prompted him to continue with a wave of his hand.</p>
<p>"Ashe works at the store where I get Jeri's clothes. Recently, he became my boyfriend." Dedue's brown skin was tinged with pink.</p>
<p>Finally, Dimitri had an answer to his burning question.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>hope you liked this tiny bonus scene! i felt an intense need to include it.</p>
<p>could this turn into a customer service fic series? maybe! i have ideas, it's just a matter of finding the time and effort to write. if you'd be interested in a sylvix customer service fic, let me know below!</p>
<p>twitter: @st_cethleann</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>thank you for reading! if you find any typos or mistakes in here, feel free to let me know.</p><p>there's a short bonus scene to this that i'll be adding as a new chapter soon, if you're interested in that.</p><p>feel free to scream in the comments about what you loved/hated!</p><p>you can find me on twitter at @st_cethleann</p></blockquote></div></div>
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